The War
by Army Man
Summary: A unit stationed in Vietnam learn of teamwork the hard way as they fight to survive.


Between 1816 and 1840, tribes located between the original states and the Mississippi River, including Cherokees, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Creeks, and Seminoles, signed more than 40 treaties ceding their lands to the U.S. In his 1829 inaugural address, President Andrew Jackson set a policy to relocate eastern Indians. In 1830 it was endorsed, when Congress passed the Indian Removal Act to force those remaining to move west of the Mississippi. Between 1830 and 1850, about 100,000 American Indians living between Michigan, Louisiana, and Florida moved west after the U.S. government coerced treaties or used the U.S. Army against those resisting. Many were treated brutally. An estimated 3,500 Creeks died in Alabama and on their westward journey. Some were transported in chains.  
  
Me and my wife and son went off into the woods to have a private family meeting, and when we returned to our village there were white men everywhere. I forced my family back into the woods and told them to hide. I suspected trouble. As I started to walk into the village to find out what was going on, one of them yelled and then someone hit me on the head. Then they tied up my hands and put into a pen like place with the rest of my fellow Cherokees. The chief then told me that we were being forced to leave our village and move west by order of Andrew Jackson, I was furious. But then I looked over to where I had told my family to hide and I saw a soldier dragging my wife, who was apparently unconscious, and another carrying my son who kicked and squirmed. I started to charge them but one of my friends grabbed me and held me back. They gave us only a few minutes to pack up our things and then we left for journey to our unknown. We walked it seemed endless hours and days stopping only to eat a tiny bit of what our escorts gave us. By the end of the third there were 6 of my people dead because of exhaustion, drought, and starvation. There were women, children, and men dying one after another after another, even the elderly were ill fully cared for. The white men did nothing to help us, we had to help each other bury the dead and ration out the little food they gave us. It was a month after we finally began our woeful journey west when we finally reached our destination. Out of 167 people there were only 49 that lived through the terrible journey. 12 of them died days after of disease. My once healthy family was now barely staying alive. Family walks of towards the woods Wood Claw: Now I know that we are... what was that Wood Claw: Quickly back to the village Wife: But why Wood Claw: I think there's trouble Son: I scared  
  
Wife: Ohh my I've never seen so many white men in one place before Son: ... Wood Claw: Hurry go back to those bushes and hide. NOW!!  
  
Wood Claw walks into the village White Soldier: Hey captain we got a stray one here Captain: Hurry get him don't let him get away Wood Claw takes a step backwards Wood Claw: What is going on here. ahhh Wood Claw gets hit one the head and falls to the ground Captain: Put him with the rest of them  
  
A soldier notices Wood Claw's family  
Soldier: Well looky what I found, hey captain looks like we got a  
whole family here  
Captain walks over and touches Wood Claw's wife's face and she slaps  
him  
Wife: Don't touch me you evil man  
Captain: shut up you wretched Indian  
Captain hits her on the head and knocks her out  
One of the soldiers carries her over with the rest  
Son: let me go, put me down now!  
Soldier: you little brat stop squirming  
The soldier throws him on the ground with the others  
  
Captain: Listen to me all you Indians, by the orders of Andrew Jackson  
you are ordered to move west of the Mississippi, if you refuse you  
will be shot  
Captain: Also you will have a few minutes to gather things anything  
that you don't have when time is up will be left behind understand  
The group of Cherokees sigh  
  
Soldier: Times up you mangy wretches lets go move it  
And the crowd is herded into lines behind and beside all the soldiers'  
horses  
  
Wood Claw: don't worry my family we will make it through this  
Wife and Son: Boo hoo  
They leave in despair and glance once more at their once peaceful  
village  
Wood Claw: Ok everyone we have to keep up with who is still with us so  
I will take count, if anyone family member is missing please speak up  
now  
Villagers: Clickers gone.Ginobys dead.. Habbin is too  
Wood Claw: alright alright calm down lets just bury the dead and move  
on, we must keep on going or the white men will kill us all  
Captain: Stop talking keep on moving or else!  
Four weeks later the beaten and bruised Cherokees stumbled into their  
destination in Oklahoma  
Wood Claw: Finally my family and friends the traveling is over we can  
now rest and try to restore our village  
Wood Claw: I know that there are few of us left, but we can't let that  
stop us from continuing our ways  
Son: Father is everything going to be like it was before  
Wood Claw: I don't know son I don't know but I hope so 


End file.
